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Some people call them water cures. Others call them The Baths. Scandinavian-style spas are age-old European institutions involving a curious mix of pleasure-through-pain. The pleasure comes via hot tubs, Finnish saunas and Turkish steam rooms, or hammams. The pain follows, when you jump into a cold-water bath, dunk into a stream or stand under a waterfall. It's all worthwhile, as the bracing sensation resets our nervous system and gives us a happy jolt. Don't take my word. Try it yourself. The Montreal area has top-notch hammams and Nordic spas, ranging from urban oases to alpine retreats in the country.

Rainspa

Why it's worth it: Tucked inside the Hôtel Place d'Armes, a winning boutique hotel, Rainspa gives busy travellers and knowing locals a chance to decompress and sweat out their stress. Decorated with glittering swaths of turquoise tiles and textured walls, Rainspa transports visitors to another realm. Hotel guests whisper in foreign languages, adding to the exotic thrill of the hammam experience ($30/day). Wearing comfy robes and swinging bottles of water, clients mingle in the relaxation areas outside the hammam before getting massages, facials and special body treatments. Sign up for The Hawaiian Mauna Lua ($195 for 90 minutes) and experience a coffee/orange peel exfoliation, with rose petal butter massage, a body wrap and scalp treatment. Or treat yourself to a Dead Sea Detox exfoliation ($199, 120 minutes) to benefit from a salt scrub, a mud wrap and a Swedish massage. Bring a bathing suit and let the massage artists do the rest. Hungry after all that pampering? Head downstairs to Suite 701 restaurant for a pear and spinach salad ($10).

When: Open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m; Sunday from 9a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Hôtel Place d'Armes, 55 St. Jacques St. W.

How to get there: From Réne Lévesque Boulevard, turn south on St. Urbain Street. Drive five blocks to St. Jacques Street West. Turn left. Park under the hotel for $12.

Why it's worth it: It's closer than Casablanca. This downtown hammam is an ode to Morocco and its exotic beauty rituals. The Turkish hammam is a big part of those rituals, involving 20-minute steam sessions followed by exfoliation with black Alep soap ($73). The hammam, lined with earth-tone tiles, has three chambers -- two for the treatments and one for taking steam. Guests can order body wraps and body oils ($127) or simply bake in the steam. The best-selling treatment is the 1001 Nights ($199), featuring a post-hammam hair treatment with argon oil, an exfoliating facial scrub and mask for hands, face and feet. Saturday, the hammam is open to both sexes, but Sunday is reserved exclusively for women. Couples can book a private session. Access to the hammam is $29, including towel, robe and a locker with key. Bring your own bathing suit and flip-flops please. Leave yourself time to enjoy cups of mint tea while sampling plates of date cookies.

Why it's worth it: High design meets country quiet. Mingle with the beautiful people at Balnea and experience what life is like in the pages of a fashion magazine. This day spa has a futuristic white hammam, as well as high-tech waterfalls, a separate sweat lodge, saunas, four new cedar hot tubs by the lake and a new outdoor bar where you can order a glass of bubbly Mumm Nappa ($14.50) or regular wines (from $7). Want a challenge? Sign up for the boot camp ($155-$185). It's a 60-minute workout, followed by a 60-minute massage, bath access and lunch. Another highlight is the Quattro Balnea ($205), a four-hand massage with chocolate oil. Finish the day with a piece of vegan cake ($7) from the bistro, where signature dishes include Thai soup ($14.50) and plates of tasty grilled veggies ($13.50). You can swan around the Balnea all day for $49. Call and reserve.

Why it's worth it:the drive: Talk about alpine! Outdoorsy and rustic, the Nordic Station is all about authenticity. Located near Magog in the Eastern Townships, the Nordic Station keeps the focus on Scandinavian-style bathing and unpretentious fun. There are Finnish saunas, hot tubs, Turkish steam baths, Nordic waterfalls and even a babbling brook. The layout is roomy, so guests have space to sprawl. Antique signs, retro skates, fishing gear and old snowshoes hang on the walls, making a statement: we are not trying to impress you city folk. Cosying up to the wood-burning stove in cold weather, guests prepare for a bracing dip in the stream or a snooze on a lounger. Quiet chit-chat is tolerated, so it's an ideal destination for groups of gal pals and families. The day rate is great ($38, students $24 with I.D.) and no reservations are required.

When: Open every day 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: 285 Chemin des Pères, Magog, Que.

How to get there: Take Highway 10 East. Drive about 55 to 65 minutes. Turn south on Highway 112. Drive two minutes.

Contact: 1-866-414-5200 or nordicstation.ca

Scandinave les Bains

Vieux-Montréal

Why it's worth the drive: Where else would you wear your new bikini from Brazil? This is the urban sister location of the original Tremblant flagship. And it's beyond stylish. Designed by superstar architects Saucier + Perrotte, Scandinave is a 12,000-square-foot grotto with heated black slate floors. There's a reverential silence in the spa, as guests contemplate the benefits of "taking the cures" -- or jumping into cold water after sweating in a sauna or hammam. The steam bath is along the south wall, with a waterfall down the frosted window. There are no deer grazing on the property, as in Tremblant, so don't expect the alpine experience. It feels more like a boutique hotel with the Latin motto Sanitas Per Aquam, or "health through water." The Zero Stress Lounge must be the city's coolest place to loiter in your bathing suit, sipping soya milk smoothies ($6 to $8) and sharing a chocolate Cookie Stephanie ($2.95). Admittance is $46, including two towels, locker and sandals. Bathing suits are mandatory. Treatments cost extra.

When: Open every day 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Where: 71 de la Commune West, near St. Sulpice Street.

How to get there: It's best to take the metro to Place d'Armes. If driving: from Réne Lévesque Boulevard, turn south on St. Urbain Street. Drive 10 blocks to de la Commune. Turn left. Parking on the street is difficult. Consider paying for a parking lot. Parking can be $20.

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